


The Woman In The Stars

by chai_and_coffee



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Altean Shiro, Character Development?, F/M, Fluff, I hope?, Melinda does a write, Melinda does an Appear, Romance, The Astral Plane, allura doesn't die, coran is a BAMF, s8 partial fix it, shallura - Freeform, slight angst, what should have happened
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-31
Updated: 2019-01-31
Packaged: 2019-10-19 17:55:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,479
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17606123
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chai_and_coffee/pseuds/chai_and_coffee
Summary: He refuses to believe that she’s gone.He can’t.She’s not.Because for Takashi Shirogane to accept that Princess Allura was gone would mean that the world was coming to an end, that everything and anything had no meaning, that the savior of the universe had passed on and left him here without taking him with her.





	The Woman In The Stars

He refuses to believe that she’s gone. 

 

He can’t. 

 

She’s not. 

 

Because for Takashi Shirogane to accept that Princess Allura was gone would mean that the world was coming to an end, that everything and anything had no meaning, that the savior of the universe had passed on and left him here without taking him with her. 

 

Co-leaders, they once said. Co-leaders, with the pride and confidence that as long as they were together, everything would be okay.

 

But now it was just him, all alone with no one to help him carry the weight of saving the world. 

 

But god, the princess was so much more than that. 

 

She shared the burden, yes, but she was his friend. She was the one to tuck him under a blanket when he fell asleep in the common room, she was the one to sternly raise an eyebrow at him when she thought that he wasn’t getting enough rest. 

 

And maybe before the unfortunate incident with the clone occurred, he had thought that they had been getting closer, maybe crossing the boundaries past friends.

 

But then Kuron came in (and it wasn’t his fault, poor guy, he didn’t ask for that) and Lotor took his place and….suddenly up until the last moment with her, he felt a wall instead of the usually open Allura. 

 

Kuron’s standoffishness must have really hurt her, because she sought out refuge in Lance’s arms, in an un-Allura-like characteristic manner. 

 

The two had accepted that they were never going to be a good couple though, and right before the final mission, had decided to call it quits. 

 

But as far as he knew, Lance was still very good friends with her. So close that even when she was gone, Lance was right beside him, working on a plausible theory that she was with them, she was still alive. 

 

Days turned into months. Months turned into years. 

 

Eventually, Lance began to lose steam. 

 

“What…what if she’s gone, man?” He asked one day, looking up at Shiro. 

 

Shiro had raised an eyebrow over the book he was reading. “What do you mean?” 

 

The Cuban boy looked uncomfortable. “I mean…It’s been so long. If she’s alive, don’t you think she would have been here by now?”

 

Shiro scratched his beard thoughtfully. “I was stuck in the astral plane. I was somewhat alive, yet I couldn’t be there with you or the others. So how can you expect her to?” 

 

Lance had the good graces to look guilty. He stayed for a few more days after that confrontation, helping Shiro look into possible explanations, but soon after, he left. 

 

Shiro was fine with that. 

 

As his beard got longer because he couldn’t be bothered to shave, so did the list of books he went through, searching for some kind of explanation as to what she had done, where she had gone. 

 

Sometimes, when the words mushed into one another and he had to blink his eyes to clear them, he went piloting. Not with the ATLAS (he couldn’t use a military weapon for a scavenger hunt, and besides, they all thought he was crazy anyways) or the lions (they had gone off to their lost mistress) but with a standard ship. 

 

He piloted through the eternal starry nights, landing and bouncing from planet to planet, star system to star system. No one had seen the princess, and some even seemed startled by his unkempt appearance. 

 

Of course, he looked like a madman, the former Black Paladin of Voltron chasing after his princess who was assumed to be dead.

 

When he did take a break from his searching, he went out and found a secluded space on whatever planet he was on. 

 

This planet was _Yevarzha_ , and it had big, purple rolling hills as far as the eye could see. He went out, walking until he found a crest of a hill that he particularly liked. 

 

“I’m coming for you, my princess.” He vowed quietly, just like he did every single night. There was no sound in the hills, no rustle or anything that could be taken as a sign. 

 

But above him, the stars glittered meaningfully. 

 

-

 

“You don’t look very good.” Allura stood right before him, wearing a pale pink sundress. She appeared to be leaning on a doorframe, her exotic lips quirked up into a slight smirk as she appraised him. 

 

He knew where this was. Rainbow Colony 7G, the apartment that he grew up in. The sun slanted past the turquoise curtains that his mom had hung up in his room when he was younger, coating the woman who stood before him in an ethereal glow. 

 

He knew this was a dream, and felt himself tilt his head. “What do you mean?” He heard himself say. 

 

“Your beard? Your eyes? God, Shiro. You look like you haven’t slept in so long. Shave, rest. Relax. I’m up in the stars. I have forever. Won’t I wait for you?” She asked, making her way over to him and gently caressing his face, her finger stroking his cheek. 

 

When he woke up, he felt the strangest warmth on his cheek slowly fading away, and the memory of her baby blue eyes piercing his mind. 

 

He did as she asked, shaving, taking a shower. But…he couldn’t rest. He couldn’t stop until he found her. 

 

\- 

After two years, he finally found a lead. It wasn’t from any of the foreign manuscripts that he had to run through the translator before he could read, no. It was from a book of Japanese poems that he had found in the _Moshing_ library. He had taken it with him just for pure nostalgia. 

 

 

 

跡形なしに残った

left without a trace

 

輝く顔なし

no shining face

 

彼女はどこへ行ったのか ; 近くか遠い？

where did she go ; near or far?

 

星の女

the woman in the stars

 

 

He glanced up at the night sky, filled with the shining celestial bodies. They seemed to wrap around him meaningfully, blinking and glittering. 

 

“Do you have her?” He asked quietly. He should have felt the rush of embarrassment of talking to the stars, but instead, he felt familiarity. 

 

Was this something he already knew? He had a habit of doing that, pressing back memories or information that he already knew because he didn’t know how to apply it to the situation at hand. 

 

The pulsating stars glimmered at him. 

 

It clicked. He knew where she was. 

 

“I’m coming for you, Allura.” He whispered again, and the stars simply sparkled, delighted with his realization. 

 

\- 

 

It was hard to go back to Coran. The man had identified himself with the new Alteans, and lived every single day like Allura wasn’t gone. 

 

But it was hard to face him when he hadn’t even had the chance to say good bye to the woman who was as close to a daughter as he was going to get. 

 

He had been apprehensive of seeing the orange-haired man, but all his reservations dissolved as suddenly Coran bounded towards him as soon as his ship docked, throwing himself at Shiro with an excited “You’re here!”

 

Needless to say, Coran cried a lot, clinging to Shiro like a koala. It took soothing words of consolation and apologies to get him to stop crying and even more soothing words to get him to finally climb down from his perch. 

 

“My apologies, you know. It’s…it’s been a long time since I’ve seen the paladins, and we were all worried that you might not want to come…because of..you know.” Coran said once they were situated in a living-room like space. 

 

Shiro could definitely tell that Coran had been in charge of the decorating. There was orange everywhere. But there was also hints of pink and purple. Pink, he knew, was supposed to be a small memorial to Allura. The exotic pink flowers, the small pink rug…they were all for Allura. And with his hints of purple in the room, Coran was also preserving the color of Altean royalty.

 

“I actually wanted to talk to you about that. I think I know a way to get her back. I think I know where she is.” Shiro said, his eyes brightening. 

 

Coran’s face lit up for a second, but Shiro knew that the man must have curtailed his excitement. Shiro’s theory was nothing more than a hunch, and to waste his hope on that would lead to a crushing admission that there was the possibility that Allura was gone. 

 

“It’s late, and I am sure that your travels has made you tireder than a drowsy _Woerbelsnak_. Come, I’ll show you to a room. We will talk tomorrow.” Without broaching the subject that Shiro had just presented, Coran patted his shoulder and led him down the hallway. 

 

Shiro sighed as the door was quietly closed behind him. He did have tomorrow to bring up the subject again, and Coran was right. He was pretty tired after his travels. He stumbled a few steps, past the odd shag carpet (what was with Coran and shag carpets?) and onto the kidney shaped bed, sinking into the gel-like mattress. Covers immediately covered him, and he snuggled into the odd bed, falling asleep quickly. 

 

-

 

“You’re close.” Allura smiled, her white hair falling into her eyes. 

 

This time, they were in Shiro’s college dorm. He could still see the poster of NASA at that time, his dream job. (Of course, as soon as they found about his condition, they revoked their offer. So much for him being one of the greatest students they had ever seen. He was glad that the Garrison decided to look past that physical challenge and actually help him achieve his dream while helping his condition.) Allura was stretched out next him, both of them facing one another. 

 

He wasn’t quite sure if this was a dream or not. He was beginning to think that it wasn’t. “I am?”

 

She laughed, gently pushing back his hair. “Yes, you are. You’re very close. But Shiro, if you find that you are unable to find me, go back home and live your life. I’m content to watch over you from the stars.”

 

“No.” He said immediately, the abject denial springing to his tongue almost immediately. “No, Allura. I can’t. I can’t live my life when I know that there’s a possibility of bringing you back. I need you to come back. Things aren’t right without you. The world isn’t right. I’m not right.”

 

“You have never needed me to be capable, Shiro.” She reminded him gently. “You have always overcome everything that life has thrown at you. So why not take my passing in stride, like all the others did?”

 

He blinked, surprised when he found moisture collecting behind his eyes. “Because you did it for me. I have to do it for you.”

 

When he woke up, he wasn’t surprised to feel tears running down his face and his hair in an odd manner, as if someone had pushed it back during the night. 

 

-

 

“The answer is the astral plane.” Shiro said quietly at breakfast with Coran the next morning. 

 

“ _Excuse_ me?” The older man asked, surprised at his outburst. 

 

“The astral plane. That’s where Allura is, I’m sure of it. She wiped out all the other realities and whatnot, sure, but she can’t wipe out the same side of one reality. The astral plane is just an extension of our world, except the astral plane houses spirits that are stuck.” Shiro explained. 

 

“And you believe Allura is there.” It wasn’t a question, but Shiro could sense the tones of hope starting to creep into Coran’s voice. 

 

“I know she is. I don’t know how to explain it, Coran, but I know she’s there.” He said softly. 

 

The man pierced him with an unnaturally serious gaze, his expression unreadable. “Shiro. In the time that I’ve known you, I have never questioned your motives when it came to Allura. Despite you letting her go on dangerous missions and losing her, I always knew that when it came down to her, you would do anything. And now, I ask you. What is it do you need me to do to get Allura back?” He asked simply. 

 

Shiro blinked. He had been expecting a little more resistance, but he was okay with Coran’s agreement. 

 

“I need to know how to get into the astral plane.” He answered. 

 

Coran stroked his mustache thoughtfully. “Well, I remember that Allura had harnessed her quintessence and linked herself with the plane through the Black Lion’s subconscious to get there. You might have to do the same. I remember Allura telling me that you had the ability to harness quintessence through your arm, so you might want to use that. Once you’re able to control the essence that swirls through your being, then you visualize the plane which you wish to go to. The energy should fill in the gaps.” Coran instructed. 

 

-

 

Coran sent him down to the gardens to practice trying to wield the quintessence. Shiro felt ignorant when it came down to his arm. Sure, he knew how to use it for daily life and for war, but he lacked to realize the true power contained within its depths. 

 

He closed his eyes and tried to feel the vibrations of the energy that Allura had once described to him. 

 

But after sitting in the garden for two hours, all he could feel was the drops of sweat making his shirt stick to his back and hear the buzz of the insects. 

 

“Any luck?” He heard Coran from behind him. 

 

“No, not really. But I’m going to keep trying.” He said, determination entering his tone as he closed his eyes and tried again. 

 

When he went to sleep that night, he was already frustrated. But he supposed some one-on-one time with Allura would help.

 

“You look frustrated.” Now they were on the Castle of Lions, sprawled out on his bed. She sat on his pillow, wearing a small smile, and squeaked when he groaned and rested his head in her lap. 

 

“What’s gotten you in such a mood, Shiro?” He could hear the amusement in her voice without even having to open his eyes and look at him. Her fingers slowly combed through his hair, and he began to relax. 

 

“You. I’m trying so hard to channel my quintessence and see if I can open a path to the Astral Plane, but I’m not getting the hang of it. And yeah, yeah, before you say anything, I know that you have forever. But I’d rather you be back now, rather than you waiting forever for me to figure it out.”

 

“I’m sure you’ll figure it out. Maybe you just need something to ground you.” She murmured. 

 

Ground him. 

 

God, she was a genius. 

 

The next morning, he tried again. Using a mental picture of Allura to ground him, he tried to draw on his quintessence. Focusing intently on her azure eyes, he could start to feel the hum inside him. 

 

Almost immediately as he felt it, the control snapped back, and he was back to feeling nothing again. 

 

Patience yields focus. 

 

-

 

He didn’t get it in the next day or the next. In fact, he didn’t get it during the week at all. He grew frustrated, but tried to tamper down the red hot feelings to ensure his focus never strayed from his task.

 

It was three days into the second week when he finally got it. 

 

This time, the quintessence was everywhere. When he opened his eyes, he could see white and black lines coming in and out of every single object around him. When he looked down, he saw a rush of white lines coming into him, with no black around him. 

 

Ah, Coran had told him about this. Quintessence was a form of energy, and like most things, there was good energy and bad energy. A quintessence user would be able to see how the different energies interacted within the world. Because a user had to be pure of mind and soul, they would become the beacon for good energy. 

 

So, now that he had finally been able to channel quintessence, he had to open up a pathway to the plane. As quickly as he thought about the void, his attention snapped and whatever energy he had been harnessing quickly faded away. 

 

When he brought that news up to Coran, the old man scoffed like Shiro should have known better. 

 

“You can’t just think of the void. The void is a void, it’s endless. The world itself is referring to nothingness. You have to link yourself to someone already there. Just like how Allura linked herself to the Black Lion, who was partially keeping you there, you have to do the same.”

 

With that new information, he went to bed. 

 

-

 

“I’m so close to finding you.” He said as he finished giving her the rundown on what he had accomplished that day. She snuggled into his chest even more, sighing happily when his arms tightened around her. 

 

“I’m sure you will find me soon. I await your arrival.” She said. 

 

He took a moment to think before asking his next question. “Will…will we be like this when…when you’re here?”

 

“Would _you_ like to be?” 

 

He didn’t even have to think about it. “Yes, I’d like to be. What made you…what made you overcome your aversion to me?” 

 

“I’ve decided that life’s too short and we’ve spent too much time alone for us to not get over ourselves and come to terms that we are attracted to one another. Besides, I am confident that had you not felt for me in the same way, you would have gently told me.” She said with a short little laugh. 

 

He didn’t respond to her joke, but looked at her seriously. “The next time I see you, we’re going to be doing this for _real_.”

 

“I eagerly await your arrival.” She repeated with a teasing smile on her lips. He pressed his lips to her temple and wasn’t surprised when he felt his arms in an odd position in the morning, like he had wrapped his arms around someone. 

 

-

 

He was back in the garden, and the place was starting to grow on him. Usually, he just closed his eyes and tried to concentrate on whatever his task for the day was, but this time, he took the time to look around at the space around him. 

 

He sat on a flat gray rock, and there were little pebbles around him. They were in all sorts of odd colors. One color of blue reminded him of the shocking electric blue candies he used to get with his mother. The pink rocks were in a color that reminded him of pale pink flowers that his neighbor had had in her bouquet on her wedding day. 

 

He spread his gaze out past the pebbles, focusing on the small pond in front of him. It was filled with an amber colored liquid that looked more gel-like than actual liquid. There was a ring of the pink pebbles around the edge of the pond. Further out, great leafy hedges peeked out here and there. The leaves were yellow and looked spiky and spherical. The hedge surrounded him in a circle, and formed an intricate arch over him. 

 

He took a deep breath, drinking in the sights of the place around him. Taking a deep breath, and remembering what Coran had told him, he began again. 

 

Maybe the second time was easier, because he was able to access the energy and visualize the princess. Once the first and second steps were completed, he visualized the void, with Allura in it. 

 

She lay, sprawled on her side, looking down at the inky blackness. Of course, Shiro could only see the sprawl of empty space before her, but something told him that she was looking down at the world, from the stars, one might say. 

 

She turned her head immediately when he arrived, her face lighting up. “Ah, finally. I was wondering if you were ever going to come.” She teased, slowly making her way to him. She placed her delicate, slender hand in his, her eyes twinkling with mischief. He yanked her to him, crushing her slender frame against his and burying his face in her hair. “Please, please, please don’t leave again.” He pleaded, before realization struck him.

 

“Allura, I don’t have a body for you, like how you had the clone’s body for me.” He said, his eyes widening. How had he not thought of that? The relief of having her back immediately dissipated, and icy fear rushed through him. 

 

Instead of being worried, she tilted her head. “Don’t worry. I’ll take care of it. You just…get us back.” She said simply, squeezing him back. 

 

“You don’t seem too happy to see me.” He quirked an eyebrow at her. 

 

“I guess you could say that I’m just a bit apprehensive. I don’t want you to get stuck here again, so I’ll squeal like a child when we’re both on solid ground.” She grinned wryly. 

 

Fair point. He felt the tether that his body had extended out to his soul tug, and he closed his eyes, focusing his attention on leaving the spiritual plane. 

 

Just like Allura had pressed his soul into his body so long ago, he felt the similar feeling. And as he opened his eyes, a starry-eyed princess sat in front of him. 

 

When she opened her eyes and saw that they were both safely in the true world, she threw herself at him in a tight hug. 

 

“I’ve missed you.” He said, his voice choked up. Tears rolled down his face as the two finally got to have the meeting that shouldn’t have happened in the first place. Allura should have never left, never died. 

 

“And I, you, Shiro.” She whispered, her eyes scrunched tightly. 

 

The two held each other tightly until Coran came down to peek on Shiro’s progress. 

 

“How’s it going Sh—- _ALLURA_?!” The orange-mustachioed man’s eyes widened. Allura broke away from Shiro’s embrace and ran at the closest thing that she had to a father. 

 

There were apologies muttered, some from Allura for not saying goodbye, from Coran for letting her go in the first place. 

 

The two closest men in Allura’s life eventually stepped back and took her hands, gently guiding the princess up to the quarters, where she could get some rest after her weary travels and experience. 

 

That night, Shiro stood outside her bedroom, unable to come to terms that she was here, that she was safe, that she was okay. He stood, arms crossed, eyes forward, still as a sentinel. 

 

That night, Coran could breathe a bit easier. Allura was here, and Shiro was looking after her. 

 

\- 

 

“Princess?” Shiro knocked on the door as soon as he heard a small sound. The doorknob gave in easily, and he pushed the door open after waiting for a response. None came, so he stepped inside. 

 

“Princess?” He called out again, his voice low. The slightly ajar balcony doors gave him his answer, but his heart didn’t stop racing until he saw her form, legs swung over the side of the balcony, gazing up at the stars. 

 

He came up next to her, and while every rational body cell in his system wanted to yank her away from the edge, he knew that such a smothering move would only irritate her. She was her own woman, and hell, she was a thousand times stronger than he was. 

 

So, he swung his legs over, sitting right next to her. 

 

They sat in silence before he broke it. 

 

“I didn’t feel the rush of your consciousness into my body. You know, like how you did to me. You housed my spirit in your body, but I didn’t feel anything this time.”

 

Her voice was measured, careful as she spoke. “I didn’t need to.”

 

The conjuncture from earlier of her being her own independent woman, and her not needing to transfer her consciousness into him clicked together. “You didn’t need me to come and get you, did you?” He asked softly. 

 

“No.” 

 

“Why? Why didn’t you come back if you could?” He asked softly, trying to keep the pain and emotion out of his voice. 

 

It must have not worked, because she reached and gently slipped her hand into his. 

 

“I was…inconsolable. I didn’t appreciate the way I had been demoted to a minuscule part in my father’s creation. I….felt shame at being manipulated to help the Galra’s agenda. And when we reached Earth…I just felt…my identity slipping. I wasn’t a Princess anymore, I had turned to Dark magic, and…oh, Shiro. Everything would have been better if I could have just…shared it with you. But…there was a wall. An emotional disconnect that I found from not only you, but everyone. I didn’t feel myself. Almost as if I was being written out of my _own_ narrative. And…when the option came to not be…here anymore, I took it. I stayed in the plane. I think the plane felt sorry for me, because it gave me a spot in the sky, where I could look over what you and the others were doing.” She said softly. He didn’t interrupt her once. 

 

“Allura, we missed you dearly. Things….things are not right after you left. We weren’t right after you left.” He whispered, too scared to say ‘I’.

 

“Then how come you were the _only_ one to come after me? Keith, Pidge, Hunk, they didn’t bother trying. Lance gave up quickly. Coran helped you only when you had a solid answer and theory. Do not say ‘we’, Shiro. I am only here because you wanted me to be.” She said. Her gaze wasn’t condemning, and he was transfixed by the pain contained in the depths of her icy eyes. 

 

“Fine, then. I was the only one to come after you. Because _I_ need you, Allura. You were my co-leader, my friend, my partner. I felt brave to face the world because of you. This,” He gently took her hand and rested it against his heart. “Is because of you. _This_ ,” Her hand was placed on his prosthetic arm, where her crystal powered it “Is because of you. I owe you so much, and you did the same in my position. So how can I not do it for my Princess?” He asked, softly, tenderly, reaching out to gently wipe the tears that slipped from her eyes. 

 

She sniffled, and rested her head on his shoulder. He pressed a kiss to her hair, pulling her closer. They swung their legs in tandem and in silence for a few moments. 

 

After a while, she spoke. 

 

“Thank you for coming after me.” She whispered. 

 

He repeated those same words uttered on that fateful day. “You never have to thank me.”

 

-

 

They spent the rest of the days in the week in the garden. He took her hand and showed her where he had practiced, all the sights. She showed him how to use his new found quintessence abilities, and giggled when he twirled the blossoms into her hair. 

 

“You do realize that you’re an Altean now?” She asked with a giggle.

 

He paused in his tracks, raising an eyebrow at her. 

 

“You’re an Altean. You harnessed my quintessence, communicated with me, harnessed your own quintessence. That’s why Lance got those markings. He got a bit of my quintessence, which is why the universe marked him as an Altean. I bet those marks faded after the energy store was depleted. But you are another case, Shiro. You’ve harnessed the quintessence from me, and even inside you. I think..” She leaned up, and gently swiped her fingers across his cheekbones, where he knew the crescent shapes would be. 

 

“Aha! See. I knew it. Blue is a very cute color on you. I bet you’ll be getting your markings soon.” She giggled. 

 

He dragged her over to the nearest reflective surface and peered down cautiously. Sure enough, the small little shapes that decorated her skin was now on his, glowing. “So..I’m Altean now?”

 

“From the looks of it.” She said, albeit a bit giddily. “Maybe you’re half-Altean. Either way, you have realized that you have enough of the true power that all Alteans have, so your markings came. You just needed a little help coaxing the energy out.” She said, tracing the corner of the marks. 

 

She squealed as he picked her up and swung her around. “What was _that_ for?” She asked, grinning from ear to ear. 

 

He pressed a kiss to her nose, which made her blink. “For telling me. All my life, I’ve never really….fit in. With my disease, upbringing. A lot of things. But…this feels right.”

 

She hummed thoughtfully. “I wonder if your disease was caused by the warring of your human and Altean blood, and that once you were in space and healed with advance tech, your Altean blood grew dormant. But now that you’ve actively sought out its presence, it’s making an appearance!” She hypothesized. “A shame it didn’t change these, though.” She said, rubbing his ears. 

 

“Hey!” 

 

“Kidding, kidding. They’re quite cute.” She said, turning him a shade of red and leaving him speechless for a solid minute until he retaliated by tickling her mercilessly. 

 

-

 

Meeting the paladins was draining. 

 

Pidge, Hunk, Lance, and Keith had all been waiting nervously to welcome Shiro back. They were only expecting Shiro, as far as they knew. 

 

So when they saw Allura peek shyly out from where she stood behind Shiro, they lost it. Lance burst into tears, Pidge screamed, Keith clutched his chest like he was having a heart attack, and Hunk catapulted towards. 

 

A laughing princess was buried under four sobbing paladins as they wrapped their arms around her tightly. 

 

“A little help?” Allura grinned up at Shiro, who huffed and rolled his eyes. He gently pulled his princess out of the puppy pile and up into his arms. 

 

“Easy, kids. She’s just been back for a few days.” Shiro cautioned. 

 

Four bright pairs of eyes looked back up at the princess settling into Shiro’s chest. Pidge was the first one to break the silence. 

 

“Finally.” She groaned, her head tilting back. “We’ve been waiting for you two to get together for ages.”

 

“Hush.” Shiro reprimanded, but he was still smiling. “I can still ground you.” 

 

That Dad-like statement made Hunk burst into tears again, with everyone rushing at Shiro and Allura. 

 

“Not really the way I wanted to tangle up with you.” Shiro huffed, making Allura turn a brilliant shade of red. 

 

In the end, it took three hours for Shiro to tell the story, with Hunk’s interruptions for snacks, and Shiro having to pause for Lance to go to the restroom. 

 

When Allura admitted how she had felt with the entire situation, the paladins felt silent. It was Keith that spoke up. 

 

“I’m really sorry, Allura. None of us had taken into consideration that you would be affected so much. And it’s our fault for losing hope in your return so fast. We appreciate you, and love you. We really do. But since our actions don’t really show that, we’ll prove it to you over time.” The raven-haired boy said quietly. 

 

Allura smiled warmly, accepting his offer with a nod and a squeeze of his hand. 

 

That night felt like the nights on the castleship, with the team sprawled on different sets of furniture. They stayed up talking, and one-by-one, they fell asleep. Shiro was lulled into exhaustion with Allura curled into his chest, listening to the slow breathing of his brother and the others. 

 

“Are you awake?” He asked quietly, his voice raspy with the strain of exhaustion. 

 

She made a small nose and shifted closer to him, her face nuzzling into his chest. 

 

“We’re so glad you’re here. I’m glad you’re here. We’re going to make things right, you and I. You’re the heart. You’re my heart. Without you, the universe and I are lost.” 

 

She paused for a moment, her hands stilling before she relaxed. " _You found me_.” She whispered. That statement would be incorporated into their vows in the years to come, said sultrily during other activities, said sleepily when new additions joined their family, but for now, it was a simple testament of their love, that no matter what happened, they’d find one another. 

 

He pressed his lips to her forehead, uttering the response that would decorate the pages of history books and romance novels surrounding their love. 

 

“ _Rest_."

**Author's Note:**

> please review! let me know what you thought, how you felt! they give me life, honestly!  
> drop a kudos if you enjoyed!  
> catch me on tumblr: @chai_and_coffee


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